SIGN UP NOW

Further hamstring and groin injuries in January and March after having some joy when making his comeback also severely disrupted his progress at Liverpool.

However, Lallana has had an injury-free pre-season and has played a valuable part of Liverpool's tour of the far east and Australia.

And Henderson feels his countryman is ready to make his mark at Anfield this season. "It was hard for Adam," the new Liverpool captain told LFC TV.

"Last pre-season he got an injury so he didn’t really have a good pre-season under his belt and when he came back he was always trying to fight and get back fit and he then picked up one or two niggles during the season.

"I felt a bit sorry for him last season but Adam is a top, top player. He’s got great quality and he’s got great knowledge of the game.

"He’s a good lad as well and I’m sure he will work really hard this pre-season and come the first game of the season I’m sure he will be flying. I’ve told him that I’m expecting big things from him this season. I say that because he’s a fantastic player."

Trickery

There's no doubt that Lallana has talent and, if he hits the form he showed during the 2013/14 season at Southampton when he scored nine goals, he will indeed thrive at Anfield.

His first season at Liverpool was stop-start, however, over the Christmas period he did indeed show glimpses of his talent and built a desirable rapport with Philippe Coutinho.

Overall, his first year at the Reds wasn't too bad, however, for the hefty fee paid, more will be expected this season. He made 27 league appearances and scored five goals and four assists last campaign and has plenty of potential to build on that effort.

Lallana's most admirable quality is his first touch. He takes the ball in his stride on most occasions instead of killing the ball dead which allows his to quickly start attacks and menace defenders.

He too can play with both feet, something Henderson first picked up on about the 27-year-old when they trained together for the first time for England.

"I first saw him when I was in the England squad and I got a bit of a shock as to how good he was with both feet," the former Sunderland man continued.

"A lot of people come up to me in training, whether it’s here or with England, and always mention him. He’s a top quality player and he’s a big player for us this season.

"We see every day in training what he’s capable of. We saw glimpses of it last season but those injuries sort of knocked him off track a little bit, but I’ve told him this season is his season."

Report author of article

DISCLAIMER

This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of
GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article.
GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.

Want more content like this?

Like our GiveMeSport Facebook Page and you will get this directly to you.